Wednesday, 5 March 2014

Further to the reports in the media over the past few days, concerning further collapses at Pompeii, the BBC has this morning reported funding developments through the EU for much-needed conservation work (you can read the original article here).

Damaged Pompeii to receive Italy rescue fund

Italy says it will
unblock 2m euros (£1.6m) in emergency funding to save the ancient city
of Pompeii, after flooding caused walls to collapse.

A number of structures, including the Temple of Venus and Roma, were damaged by heavy rainfall on Sunday and Monday.

The decay prompted calls for action from the European Union and the United Nations.

The site, where volcanic ash smothered a Roman city in AD79, has suffered slow degradation for many years.

It is one of the world's greatest archaeological treasures.

Every year, some 2.5m tourists visit Pompeii, which sits near the southern city of Naples.

Despite the money they generate, there have been allegations
that the city - designated a World Heritage site by the UN cultural
organisation Unesco - has been neglected and underfunded.

'Huge defeat'
The new plan was adopted at an emergency meeting on Tuesday.

Italian Culture Minister Dario Franceschini said he was "unblocking many measures which will get the machine working".

He added the EU could be "sure that Italy is taking care of Pompeii, both in terms of emergency measures and in the long term".

The Italian government has been accused of mismanaging EU funds reserved for the site's restoration.

The money will be used for routine maintenance. In addition the
government will take steps to protect vulnerable areas of the landmark
site.

Pompeii's degradation has been a source of constant concern
and embarrassment for the Italian authorities, the BBC's Alan Johnston,
in Rome, reports.

The EU has made substantial funds available for the care and
restoration of the site, but the money does not appear to have been put
to use swiftly, our correspondent explains.

The EU's Regional Policy Commissioner, Johannes Hahn, said that "every collapse is a huge defeat".
"Pompeii is emblematic not only for Europe, but also for the world," he said.

The Italian media is blaming the government's slow action on mismanagement and bureaucratic delays.